Truss



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. 8. RICE.

TRUSS.

No. 523,844. Patented July 31,- 1894;

INVENTOR.

TTOR/VE y I the front-piece (inner face) and the pad proper UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM s. RICE, OF SMITHVILLE, NE'W YORK.

TRUSS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 523,844, dated July31,1894.

Application filed January 8, 1394.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAMS. RICE, acitizen of the United States,residing at Smithvllle, in the county of Jefferson and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Trusses; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing hadto the accompanying drawings, in which 1 p Figure 1 is an isometric viewof my improved truss showingit as adjusted for a leftsIde truss; Fig. 2an isometric view of same representing it reversedand adjusted for aright-hand truss; Fig. 3 an enlarged detail'of with adjustable knuckleappertaining to my truss construction, as appearing looking toward itsfront or wearer-contacting faces; Fig. 4a similar enlarged detaildelineating a variation in the shape of the detachable knuckle as wellas its location upon the pad; Fig. 5 an enlarged detail of thefront-piece (inner face), and stay-plate whereto fastening-posts aresecured, as appearing minus the attachable pad and its adjustabledetachable knuckle; Fig. 6 a considerably enlarged central verticalsection of the pad, knuckle and contiguous portions of my appliance,taken upon dotted line or, m, Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is an isometricdetail,en1arged, of the adjustable knuckle segregated from the padportion of my truss, as appearing looking toward its back-face orpad-contacting side.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

My invention relates to trusses for hernia or rupture, and the moreespecially to that species thereof denominated as adjustable elastictrusses, either single or double.

The object of my invention is, the production of a hernial truss(eithersingle or double) that is readily'reversible for a right or left sidehernia; that insures equal pressure on the top and bottom of its padportion through a double line of draft; wherein the under-strap isreadily interchangeable from right to left side upon the reversing ofthe truss from a right to a left-side rupture or serial No. 496,216.(lilo model.)

' is movably secured) as will insure their thorough retention in place;and finally a truss construction embodying a pad or pads having anadjustable or movable knuckle located upon the face of the main pad,adapted to exert additional and direct pressure into the hernialopening,'the larger pad exerting pressure againstthe surroundingmuscles; a feature of my invention of the greatest advantage andimportance.

My invention consists in the novel features of construction, combinationand co-adaptation of parts, and manner of manipulation andbperationhereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the annexed claims.

Referring to the letters of reference indicative of parts, in theillustrations of my device embodied by the accompanying drawings, theconstruction of my improved hernial truss is as follows:-A denotes anelastic band or strip formed of any suitable cloth or webbing possessingelastic properties; which band, of satisfactory length, width andthickness, has at one extremity, secured thereto by sewing or otherfasteningsta front-piece B of flattened form, the upper and lowerboundary edges thereof curving outwardly as they approach the outer endand curving gradually at the outer vertical edge portion of thefront-piece, and whereby in plan the said front-piece at its forward-endportion presents an enlarged or head-like portion a.

.Usually the front-piece B is formed by means of two or more blanks orlayers of leather and felt, velvet, 850., of like contour anddimensions, connected together by sewing at or contiguous their edges;and, obviously, the soft side or face is disposed at that part of thefront-piece that comes against the flesh of the wearer of the truss,while the stifier leather layer is located outwardly.

b, 1), indicate strap-attaching posts or studs projecting horizontallyoutward from the outer face of the front-piece B at its swelledextremity, said posts being headed at their shank-like oppositeextremities or ends 0, c,

penetrating through the front-piece from front to rear, and projectingthrough orifices d, (1, in a stiff metallic stay and securing plate 0disposed against part of the inner or rear face of the front-piece, arethereat upset as denoted by the letters at, d, the shoulders or flangescreated by the upsetting bearing firmly against the outside of thecombined stay and retaining plate through which the shanks c, c,penetrate.

The flat metallic plate 0 afore referred to, of elongated shape,.andhaving a central circular orifice e, and the two end orifices (Z, dafore alluded to, lie against the inner or rear face of the front-pieceB upon a vertical plane and transversely to the direction longitudinallyof said front-piece; the shanks c, c, of

y the fastening posts I), b, upset at their point of projection throughthe stay-plate (l, 'i. 6., through the upper and lower orifices d, cl,create in conjunction with the circular flanges fif, of the posts I), b,impinging against the outer forward face of the leather portion of thefront-piece B, a rivet like fastening to each post, insuring thoroughand rigid attachment of the posts or studs to the frontpiece, while theplate 0 assures requisite immovability and staying qualities to thatportion of the front piece whereon the posts are located as well asforming an immovable and firm anchorage for the mentioned posts.

To the opposite extremity of the band or belt A there is connected bysewing 01' other suitable means small buckles D, D, of ordinaryconstruction, located one above the other, slightly apart, upon orstanding from the outer face of the band whereto they are pivotallysecured each buckle lengthwise being parallel to the bands length.

E, E, are end-straps, of non-elastic fabric, disposed one above theother, respectively adjustably connected to the end of the band A bymeans of the buckles D, D, while their forward ends are detachablyconnected with the front-piece B by means of hooks or hooking-plates F,F, sewed to the said ends, the

slots g, enlarged circular at rear portions, adapting the hooks of theduplicate straps to respectively hook over in positive engagement uponthe upper and lower headed posts I), b projecting laterally from theouter face of the front-piece.

The straps E, E, while on a like vertical plane, yet stand divergent,starting from the end of the band A and widening apart to their pointsof attachment to the posts I), b, of the front-piece.

G, is the detachable under strap appertaining to my truss construction,the rear ex tremity thereof being removably connected to a rearward sideportion of the elastic band A by means of a loop and buckle fastening h,'11, as illustrated, while the forward upwardlyrising extremity of thenormally curved under-strap is detachably connected with the lower postI) of the front piece through the medium of the attached hook orhookingplate H, oflike construction to the hooks F, F; said hook uponthe lower post b lying contiguous the face of the front piece, while theflat slotted hook F leading from the lower disposed endstrapE lies (whenhooked) directly over, by its forward end, the upper end of theunderneath hook-plate H of the understrap, each plate E and H beingsecured one over the other upon the same lower post b for reasons to behereinafter stated.

P denotes the main pad portion forming a component part of my trussformation, which large pad is of any preferred or advantageous shape,although usually of the shape delineated; said pad portion comprising'asolid back 1 of wood or other satisfactory material, its front portionbeing covered by a thick layer of hair, excelsior, or other yieldingsubstance forming a suitable cushioning m, the same being inclosed andretained in place by a covering or jacket n of kid or other soft pliableleather, which single piece of covering is tautly drawn over the rear ofthe backl and the approaching edges re- ,tained in juxtaposition bysewing or other sufficient fastenings.

The cushioned face of the main pad-portion P is provided at any desiredor predeinined part thereof with an adjustable detachable knuckle orauxiliary pad K, removably secured upon the front of the largepad bymeans of a wood-screw J, (or obviously other satisfactory attachingmeans) projectin g rearwardly from the back of the knuckle, whereto itshead j, is rigidly connected, its threaded shank 0, penetrating thecovering and underneath cushioning and entering by its extremity thecoincidently located portion of the penetrable backl of the main pad,and thereby firmly retaining the knucklein desired operative positionupon the pad P.

The pad portion P is secured to the inner or rear face of thefront-piece B by means of a wood-screw S entering from the outside theouter face of the front-piece midway the bottom and upper posts I) b andpracticallylineal therewith, penetrating through an aperture in thefront-piece and thence passing through the central orifice e of themetallic stay plate O enters by its threaded extremity the coincidingportion of the back I of the padPand thus thoroughly retaining said padin operative connection with the front-piece.

Evidently through the medium of its screw connection with thefront-piece, the pad P can be swung to any desired fixed position inrelation to the front-piece, i. 6., vertical, horizontal or obliqueplane. Moreover that the knuckle K projecting forwardly from the cushionface of the main pad, may, by reason of its screw connection with saidpad be readily turned and setat any desired angle; and that said knuckleor auxiliary pad is susceptible of ready attachment to or detachmentfrom one position upon the front of the large pad P to erect same atsome other spot upon its face.

. blank of kid or other suitable soft substance,

the edges of the tautly-drawn covering being held in juxtaposition atthe back of knuckle block by suitable sewing s, as indicated; andcentrally the back face of the block 1) there is a cavity or recess tinto whichthe head j of the screw J is disposed; while L is an elongatedfiat plate of metal'provided with a central aperture u, and end holes1), o; saidplate being disposed against the back of the knuckle block K,its aperture to located centrally in front of the cavity 15, and theplate extendingparallel to the length of the back, screws (or nails) M,M, are inserted through the end holes 4), 'v, and penetrating the woodfirmly hold the plate aforesaid upon the knuckles back. v

Asillustrated the screwJ passes through the aperture u of the platedirectly contiguous thehead, and is prevented from turningindependentlyof the knuckle block by means of solder w disposed aboutthe screw-shank and plate at that point where the screw passes throughthe circular aperture therefor. -Obviously other simple and ordinarymeans may be utilized in lieu of soldering for the prevention of thescrew J turning independently of itsblock wherein'its-head is seated;and it is also apparent that, perchance other means may be employed,requiring more mechanical adaptation, to detachably retain the knuckleupon the pads front, in lieu of the screw, connection shown.

An especially advantageous feature of my construction of a truss is,that the attaching posts I) b upon the front-piece B penetrate by theirrear extremities clear through the aforesaid front piece and rivet to ametallic plate on the under side thereof, whereby secure fastening andstability of the posts is assured.

A further advantageous feature is, that in my truss construction thevunder-strap and the lower end-strap both fasten to the same post on thefront-piece B.

My employment of two fastening posts I), b, an upper and a lower onedisposed some distance apart, in conjunction with the upper and lowerend-straps E, E, insures by their connection at one end with the band atthe other end withthe posts of the front-piece a double line of draftinlieu of a single line of draft as is thecase with commonly constructedforms of trusses; my double attachment from the end of the band A to thefront piece B, giving an equal and uniform pressure on the top andbottom of the pad portion of my truss, independent of the under strap,an advantage lacking in other forms of trusses.

In elastic trusses wherein the band is con nectedto the front-piece by asingle line of draft, obviously the line of draft must come overthetoppart of the pad portion, causing necessarily the bottom of the pad toroll up, whereby all pressure essential for. the retention of 'thebottom of the pad down, and retaining the rupture, must comestrainingly' upon the under-strap; a very disadvantageous feature,

My truss is perfectly adjustable in all its bearings. The pressure overthe front-piece and pad or pads can be regulated to meet therequirements of the case. And the greater pressure can be secured on thebottom of the padif necessary,thereby transmitting through the pad acombined inward and upward pressure. By my manner of construction, inwhatever position the pad or pads are disposed beneath the front-piece,the pressure remains uniform at both their top and bottom.

In view of the uniform even pressure attained by my adjustable doubleline of draft through the medium of the upper and lower divergentlyextending end-straps as operatively disposed, in many instances the utilzation of the under-strap may be dispensed with.

By my manner of hooking the under strap underneath the lower staulingend-strap on the same post, accidental unhookingand drslodgment of saidunder-strap therefrom is rendered impossible; a feature of value.

My truss is reversible, whereby it can readily be adjusted forutilization either as a right or a left side truss; for instance, in F1g. 1, it is representedas arranged for a left-side truss, while toarrange it in shape fora right side truss, as illustrated in Fig. 2, ofthe drawings, all that is required to adjust it for such antagonisticposition is, to invert the truss thereby bringingthe fron t-piece andpad portion to the right side, and concurrently turning the loop h ofthe under-strap around so as to cause the under-strap to hang pendentfrom its point of attachment to the band A, while also disengaging itshookrprovided extremity from what was the lower post of the front-piecein its former position, and hooking said extremity to what now is, inthe right- 86 provided with the adjustable or movable knuckle, whichknuckle, as is evident, is susceptible of being disposed in any desiredposition upon the face of the large pad that may in any given case bedetermined necessary or advisable for the securing of an additionalpressure directly into the hernial opening while concurrently the largepad thoroughly tacl ed from position leaving only the pad per se forcausing general pressure and re-;

tention of the muscles in proper place.

While I illustrate two varied forms of 1 knuckles by way ofexemplification, it is clear that knuckles of different configurationare adaptable of utilization, the shapes being va ried to accord withthenecessities of any particular case.

Although in the drawings I illustrate a single reversible truss, it isapparent that my invention equally applies to a non-reversible trussformation or to a double truss adapted to reversal or contrariwise.

Clearly myconstruction of a hernial truss embodiesalladvantageousifeaturesessential to a perfect-workingand satisfactoryappliance.

Having described my invention, what I claim asnew, and desire to securebyLetters :Patent, is

1. A truss comprising a pad and clamping means therefor, said padconsisting of ayieldable portion having a knuckle secured thereto andadjustable over its entire surface said knuckle being of a materialoffering more resistance than the said yieldable portion of the pad.

2. The combination with a truss pad, of a knuckle therefor, said knucklebeing pyramidal in form and adjustable over the entire surface of thesaid pad whereby its apex may be caused to extend at any desired anglefrom said pad.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this th day of August, 1893.

WILLIAM S. RICE. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

WM. 0. RAYMOND, G. A. Rron.

